“Spider-Man 2.1” reissue offers new extras, not repackaged old ones

Most of the critics lauded “Spider-Man 2” as the “best superhero movie ever made.” It got a 93% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer. It kicked butt at the box office. And the third sequel is coming out May 4.

Following standard Hollywood marketing procedure, an “Extended Cut” version is released to entice fans to spend more money on something they already have. Promising “8 minutes of never-before-seen footage,” the new “Spider-Man 2.1” at least does the buyer the courtesy of offering all new supplementary material not offered in the previous release. And at a retail price less than $20 for a two-disc set, it’s not as insulting as what George Lucas offers with his “Star Wars” re-releases.

Recap: Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) isn’t doing too well. He’s been fired from his job as a pizza delivery boy, he’s failing his classes at college, he’s fallen behind on the rent, and the woman he loves, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), is getting married to an astronaut. And of course, J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) is still slamming his alter-ego Spider-man in his Daily Bugle newspaper.

Parker gets a chance to meet the renowned physicist Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), who is attempting to perfect fusion power. Octavius has created a set of four independently minded mechanical arms to help him handle the dangerous process. However, the experiment goes horribly wrong, and the mechanical arms become fused to his body, and he becomes the villainous “Doc Ock.”

The original DVD release had two commentaries; this one incorporates a new one. The “Spidey-sense” trivia track works like the old “VH1 Popup Video” balloons, giving the viewer background info while the film is playing. And of course, there are the 8 minutes of new footage.

On the second disc, there are several new featurettes: First up is the “Inside 2.1” featurette, which showcases the added scenes. The enhancements to the subway fight are of particular interest.

“VFX Breakdowns” takes the special effects explanation to deeper levels. “With Great Effort Comes Great Recognition” explains the process of being nominated and winning the Best Visual Effects Oscar. Danny Elfman’s score is also highlighted, and a sneak peek at “Spider-Man 3” which turns out to be an extended version of the film trailer.

Spoiler warning: The new scenes involve an extended bit on Peter’s birthday party, Peter visiting a doctor about the loss of his spider powers, a fight between Spider-Man and Doc Ock in a legal office, an extended scene in the elevator, extended and enhanced subway fight scenes, and funniest of all, Jameson trying out the Spider-Man suit.

So, is it worth it? That depends on how much of a fan you are. “Spider-Man 2” is worthy of a spot on anyone’s video shelf, regardless of if you are a comic book fan or not. And if you enjoy the extras, then what’s on here is something that’s not been shown before. For the price, it’s not a bad deal.